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Amendments

Changes made to the Georgia and/or the U.S. Constitutions.

Bill of Rights

List of rights and freedoms found in both the Georgia and United States Constitutions.

GA State Constitution

Document that outlines the rights, rules, regulations, and procedures for Georgia's citizens and government.

Nonpartisan

Election where candidates are not officially affiliated with a political party.

Preamble

Ppening statements of the Georgia and the U.S. Constitutions; states the fundamental purposes of the documents.

Articles

Comprise the bulk of the constitution and include paragraphs that outline the rights, rules, regulation, and procedures for both citizens and the state's government

Checks & Balances

Political system that allows one branch of government to veto or amend the acts of another to prevent one branch from having too much power.

Governor

Elected executive of the state; serves a four year term.

Separation of Powers

Constitutional principle that limits the powers vested in one person or branch of government.

Veto

The power held by the executive branch to reject a law; vetoes can be overturned.

Juries

A body of people (typically twelve in number) sworn to give a verdict in a legal case on the basis of evidence submitted to them in court.

Responsibilities of Citizens

Duties that all citizens have; some are mandatory, like paying taxes and serving on juries; others are voluntary, such as voting.

Rights of Citizens

Government protected rights found in the U.S. Bill of Rights and the Georgia Bill of Rights.

Volunteering

When someone offers a service out of their own free will without the benefit of payment.

Felony

A crime, typically one involving violence, regarded as more serious than a misdemeanor, and usually punishable by imprisonment for more than one year or by death.

General Election

An election where the winning candidates of each party's primary, along with third party candidates and independents, run for political offices.

Misdemeanor

A minor offense with a penalty of no more than one year in prison and/or a fine

Polling Place

Location people are assigned to vote based on their residence.

Precinct

A voting district.

Primary Election

An election where members of the two major parties vote for candidates to represent them in the general elections; however, one does not have to be a member of a party to vote in a primary.

Referendum

A direct vote by the people.

Runoff Election

An election between candidates that did not receive 50% + 1 of the vote.

Special Election

An election that is used to present a special issue to voters or fill an office vacancy.

Voting

A way for the electorate to select candidates for political office.

Voting Qualifications

Required criteria a person must have in order to vote; these include being 18 years of age and being a citizen of the United States.

Wisdom

Applies to the Legislative branch and its making of state laws. MOTTO

Justice

Applies to the just and fair decisions made by the Judicial branch. MOTTO

Moderation

Applies to the use of moderation in administering laws by the Executive branch. MOTTO